The Way Down
by pikaponn
Summary: Working on tour with bands was a job I could always look forward to before. Why is this tour so different? Why do I feel so nervous when he looks at me? A Jeremy McKinnon (A Day to Remember) story. I do not own any of the bands, nor the band members in this story.
1. Chapter 1

It was 4:45 a.m. on a Sunday morning. The sun wasn't up yet and a comfortable silence had settled over me. I pulled my sweater tighter, crossing my arms over my chest as I huddled further into myself, foggy breath visible in the cold air. I looked around at the meetup spot we were emailed the week parking lot was vast and dark, dusky blue sky looming overhead, with five long, black tour busses parked in a row, all with a white sheet of printer paper taped to the windows, all with their respective band names on them. A Day to Remember, Nothing More, and Adakain. It felt like I was alone, but if I looked closely there were people who had arrived before me. Tour bus drivers, roadies loading amps into u-hauls attached to their cars, a few band managers whose band members probably weren't far behind. I shivered and realized I probably should have put on real pants, but was stuck with the baggy flannel pajama bottoms I had decided not to change out of earlier that morning. All my other clothes were shoved into two travel bags sitting by my feet on the dewy pavement, and it wasn't worth the hassle to dig through them for any proper attire.

Finally, as more people began to arrive, I grabbed my luggage and made my way over towards the buses. One of the last ones was a roadie bus, for those of us who were going on this tour to help with merch and stage sound, etc. There were only two buses for roadies, but some others would follow in their own cars. Climbing the tall steps into the second to last bus, I quickly knocked on the plastic door, but didn't wait for a response as I made my way inside. I was the first one there.

The kitchen was the first thing you saw as you walked in, tiny and compact. Hardly fitting for the six people that would be sharing it, but it was the kind of thing you get used to over time. A "living room" of sorts was beside the kitchen, really only consisting of a long, gray couch along the wall of the bus, with a medium sized television mounted to the wall at the end. Closer to the back was a booth that could seat four, with a wide table in between the plastic seats. There were compartments lining the ceiling above the furniture for storage. If you looked in them you would find things like blankets, tupperware, medicine, the list went on.

I waddled to the back of the bus with my bags, which I was dragging by now. My upper body strength was almost pitiable. That would probably change by the end of this tour, with all the things I expected to be lifting for four months straight. It would mostly be unloading and loading boxes into trucks, boxes filled with band tees and albums. For now I started lifting my bags into the bottom bunk, farthest away from the door. I shoved them towards the back and decided I would unpack later. There would be plenty of down time on the road on the way to the first show. I wasn't sure if I was as mentally prepared for this tour as I had hoped. I had been on a couple of tours before, but for the most part they were small, where the bands weren't that well known and everything was pretty easy going. On this tour, though, there was a bigger band, and I've heard stories about touring with bigger bands… More fans, more parties, less humble members. Crossing my fingers, I hoped I could get along with everyone and everything would go smoothly. Just as that thought crossed my mind, the tour bus door swung open.

"Hello?" a deep male voice rang out, and a guy with dusty blonde hair and thick stubble poked his head in. He swung a large duffel bag through the doorway and searched around until his eyes landed on me. "Casey!" His face lit up and he barreled towards me.

"Dan!" I yelled as he grabbed me up and spun me around in a bear hug. Laughing, I returned the gesture, and tried not to let my feet hit anything as they dangled in the air, with Dan flinging me around in these closed quarters. Suddenly I felt a rush of excitement. Excitement to be on this tour, to see my friends, and even for meeting new ones, despite how introverted I was. "It's been so long," I whined as he set me down, and he turned and headed back to retrieve his bag. Dan and I went on our previous tour together half a year ago and became quick friends. He was cheerful and protective of me, which was nice when you're spending months on the road with a lot of strangers.

"I saw you a week ago, Case," he chuckled and threw his bags in the bunk above mine, thinking back to last week when we ate burgers and watched horror movies together, which was not a rare occurrence. He had rough, tan skin, decorated with colorful tattoos over his arms and chest. His ears were gauged and he wore a solid gray tee with some black jeans, not unlike his usual attire. "Do you want to go check in before it gets too late?" he asked.

"Yeah, I guess we should go and see if there are any familiar faces, too," I said as I grabbed some army green, tight fitting pants from my bag, along with a big baggy Star Wars hoodie to combat the cold weather. Ducking into the bathroom, I threw on my clothes for the day and brushed through my blonde hair, throwing it up into a messy bun in the end. "Did you talk to Shae? Cause knowing her there's a chance she isn't even awake yet and the tour is gonna leave without her and she'll have to live the rest of her life as a spinster with ten cats and no job," I joked as I bounced out of the bathroom and over to Dan, grabbing his wrist and pulling him towards the front of the bus. Our trio also consisted of Shae, who we met on our last tour as well. The three of us have been inseparable since.

"She's here, I think she's already checking in," my eyes widened as I heard this and I released his arm, immediately turning and dashing toward the door.

"Why didn't you tell me sooner?!" I shouted, running full speed out of the bus. As I rushed down the steps my foot caught on the edge. I felt my body falling, almost in slow motion as I braced myself for skinned knees and palms, my breathing hitched. But it was quickly evident that someone happened to be walking by at just the wrong time.

I heard a winded grunt as we collided, and instinctively I grabbed for his arms. He managed to solidly grab on to the small of my back as we both tumbled down onto the wet cement. My head hit the ground beneath me, connecting with a loud nasty sound, and I grabbed on to whatever was closest to my hands as my ears rang. I gasped in pain, my eyes shut tightly as my skull throbbed. After a few seconds the pain began to subside and I looked up through glossy eyes, seeing at first only a blur of flesh tones. I blinked away the tears and my vision cleared.

Hovering over me was a man much taller than me with dark hair and tattoos. My hands were gripping his forearms and he had one of his arms under me while the other propped him up. He wore an expression that was a mix of confusion and concern. I stammered for something to say, but I only felt the embarrassment begin to set in. My cheeks burned red and my stomach dropped as I realized all the people staring at us. They were murmuring as they stared, some moving towards us, chiming words of concern. I felt my voice catch in my throat, not knowing what to do other than turtle into myself, my chin hunkered low while my shoulders rose to my ears. I felt the tears brimming once more as the stinging on my head spread further and without thinking my grip on his arms tightened.

"I-I'm sorry," my voice was hoarse and trembling as things finally began to set in motion. Just as I began pulling myself up from underneath him he seemed to come back to reality, too. He swiftly stood and in one fluid motion grabbed my upper arm and pulled me up with him, almost effortlessly. Teetering, I found my balance and met his gaze.

"Are you okay?" he mumbled, letting go of my arm and sighing as he looked around at the people dispersing. My cheeks still burned, and I suddenly felt very small, and very shy.

"I… I am, thank you," my voice broke and I bit down on the inside of my cheek. I wished I could escape my own skin, I was stiff with nerves. Another pain shot through the back of my head and I winced, raising my hand to the spot I hit on the pavement. My skull was pounding as I felt a bump growing beneath my hair.

The man in front of me stared at me for a long moment before he reached towards me. I flinched back but he didn't falter. Grabbing my wrist, he turned and began leading me towards the bus terminal. His large hand fit easily around mine and once again I felt so small. I looked around in confusion, stammering as I struggled to keep up with his long strides. I quickly realized just how much taller than me he was. I stood at maybe five foot two, and he was easily six feet tall. I looked behind me to see a very confused Dan watching us from the bus door, mouthing words to me, probably wondering what was going on. I shrugged to him and motioned to the mysterious man dragging me away helplessly, my mouth gaping open and closed, unsure of what exactly was going on.

"U-um, excuse me, but-" he stopped suddenly, my face hitting his back. I scrambled backwards, tripping over myself. He looked down at me from over his shoulder and I grimaced towards the ground, trying to swallow the growing lump in my throat. Maybe it was the way we ran into each other, but I was getting increasingly more nervous with each second that passed, and I'm sure more red, with the way my face was burning.

"I just saw the tour doctor over here, it'll only be a minute to find him," his voice was low and gravelly, like he had just woken up. Continuing to walk, he still hadn't released my wrist from his grasp. It took all my energy to keep up with his long strides, and a dull ache had spread across my skull. I felt myself getting more tired, and instead of continuing to be incredulous, I simply accepted his help, my hand going limp as I trotted along behind.


	2. Chapter 2

"Hey, have you seen the tour doctor?" He had already asked four people, continuing on to the fifth one. For the most part he had gotten a few directions, but they were also all different, sending us searching all around the bus terminal.

"I actually was **just** talking to him, hold on," the man we asked turned and searched behind him, "Jeff! These guys are looking for you!" When he turned back, the man holding my wrist nodded at him in thanks. We continued walking forward in the direction he had shouted, seeing someone moving towards us as well. As we made our way over I tried to make light conversation. Maybe that would help this whole situation to feel less tense and awkward.

"I'm really sorry about earlier…" I paused, realizing I still didn't know his name.

"Jeremy. And it's okay, don't worry about it," he was still speaking slowly and in a low, tired voice. His brows were furrowed deep across his forehead, pulled taut and determined as he scanned the area. Pulling me in front of him, he placed his hands on my shoulders and gave me a small nudge towards a middle aged man in a green polo, who, it was quickly becoming apparent, was the tour doctor we had been searching for.

"Were you needing any medical attention?" He asked, concerned, as I approached, lowering a clipboard he had been studying.

"Oh, yeah, kind of. I… hit my head? I'm not sure I really need any medical attention, but there is a bump," I smiled politely at him, and he returned the gesture, nodding at me. "Alright, no problem. Would you mind if I felt around your head to see the bump really quick?"

"Oh, go ahead," I stood awkwardly as he felt around the back of my head, wincing when he found the bump. My head throbbed with a dull ache, but when he touched the spot I hit it became a stabbing pain.

"It's not a very large bump. Are you having a hard time staying conscious or speaking?" he asked as he pulled his hand away.

"No, my head just hurts and it's a bit tender on the back," I placed my hand over the spot and felt it radiating warmth. It softly hummed with pain and the stinging dulled again. What I really wanted was some pain killers.

"It doesn't seem to be a concussion. You'll be fine for now. Come back and find me if you can't think think straight, are slurring your words, or if you feel faint. Take some aspirin for your headache and the swelling will go down soon. It would be a good idea to have someone escort you back to your bus, though, in case you feel dizzy."

"Oh, I did have someone bring me-" I turned around and was cut short on my statement, searching for my escort only to find he wasn't there. Confused, I searched around for Jeremy but only saw a crowd of unfamiliar faces. For whatever reason I felt thrown, my stomach twisting. I think it was just that I had finally started to accept his help and feel like it was okay to be taken care of, even if it was just a little bit by some stranger I collided with. And even though I knew that sounded ridiculous, it still felt a little lonely just to be ditched suddenly and without warning. "Um… Well… I'll be okay," I mumbled and turned back to look at the doctor.

"Do you need me to take you back?" He said with a gentle tone, a look of pity forming.

"Oh no, it's okay. I don't think I'll have any problems getting back on my own," I waved my hands in front of me as I stepped backwards away from him. "Thank you for your help," ducking back towards the buses, I hurried away.

This entire day had been one embarrassment after another. I didn't ask for that guy's help! What was his problem? Who **does** that to someone? My cheeks were burning but this time it wasn't from shyness. I felt the irritation rise in me as I quickened my pace. Obviously I didn't need to immediately go run to a doctor. What was I thinking, just following this nut job? I could have said no, could have put up a real fight, but I just got strung along, only to have the tour doctor tell me I was fine and see that I was wasting my time, and to top it all off, I got ditched by someone I don't even know! I slammed through the bus door and stomped to the back, rummaging through my bag, roughly unpacking.

"You can't ditch me, because I'm ditching you! Hah! 'Where's the tour doctor blah blah blah I'm handsome and have a nice beard oooh," I mumbled in a mocking tone, huffing all over the place.

"You like my beard?"

"Oh!" I jumped, startled, turning to see Dan in the doorway, with Jeremy behind him. "Wha-wha, I don't, um, I just-" my mouth was opening and closing like a fish out of water and I couldn't seem to find the words, waving my hands around with my clothes balled in my fists. One embarrassment after another today. "No. Your beard is like… four out of ten…" I blushed and glared at the ground, mentally slapping myself, also feeling guilty for lying. It was a very nice beard. "What are you doing here?"

"I saw him outside and invited him in," Dan shrugged. "Shouldn't you guys be acquainted? I saw you leaving somewhere together like ten minutes ago?" he turned and headed for the kitchen, grabbing a water bottle as he talked.

"I guess…" I trailed off and made eye contact with Jeremy. I felt my face get hotter. His eyes were a warm brown and I felt nervous under his gaze. Warm was a good way to describe my first impressions of him. His eyes, his voice, his expressions. But he simultaneously felt cold and distant, like there was a glass wall he had built to the outside world. You could see how kind and welcoming he could be, but you could only observe from far away. I had never really thought this much about a stranger.

"I was just making sure you were okay. You look alright, though," he gave me a nod and made his way to the front of the bus, nodding at Dan as well as he slipped out the door. It seemed like nodding was his preferred method of conversation.

"O-okay, bye..." I trailed off after he left.

"He's gone, Case, you awkward sack of shit," Dan laughed heartily from the counter he was leaning on, taking a swig of water. "What was that?" He smirked at me from across the bus.

"I…" suddenly I remembered how frustrated I was. "I don't **know**! One minute he's there, the next he isn't, and now he's checking on me? I just… I don't know. That guy is an enigma," I shook my head, plopping down to finish putting my clothes in a storage box under my bunk.

"A handsome enigma with a nice beard," he cackled and began laughing again.

"I am so mad at you!" I laughed, throwing a slipper at him from the room. It barely made it to the couch.

"What! He was just kind of standing around looking like 'should I, should I not?' so I made the decision for him. He's just as socially inept as you is what it looks like," he scoffed. "Do you want food before we go? Because we have a long drive ahead of us," he said as he moved towards the exit. Just as he opened the door a blur of red slammed through, knocking him to the ground. Attached around his neck was a lanky ginger girl.

"Shae!" I shouted, running and jumping into the mix. I heard Dan grunt as I landed on both of them.

"Caseeeey!" She cheered, wrapping an arm around my neck and pulling me into a group hug on the ground. I could feel my cheeks start to hurt as I smiled from ear to ear.

"I missed you guys sooo much in the whole week I didn't see you," she cooed as we all rolled over each other until the three of us were lying side by side, Shae in the middle. "Like I almost forgot what your faces looked like it's been so long," she joked. The sun was starting to rise and light was pouring through the windows onto us, basking everything in gold. Shae's hair was a burgundy red, not quite strawberry blonde, but not brunette either. She was pale with light freckles across her nose and cheeks, with a septum piercing and big eyes and a button nose. She was much taller than me, standing at five foot seven with long, gawky legs. Her hair was glowing in the light, her eyes shining a honey green. Dan's hair was reflecting the beautiful morning light as well, his hair and beard shimmering while the light danced over his sun kissed skin. Warm. Warm was a good way to describe a lot of things I felt that day. Comfort had settled into the pit of my stomach, and I would gladly lay there forever with my best friends on the floor of the tour bus, basking in this warmth if I could, thinking about how eventful the day had been and it was barely six o'clock.


	3. Chapter 3

"Has anyone seen a gray bag around? It has my hygiene stuff," I asked as I walked out of the back of the bus, ducking into the bathroom as I searched around. I didn't see it, turning back to check the dining area. As I rounded the corner, I ran into someone, my face hitting their chest.

"Oh! My bad," I said as I lightly rubbed my nose, looking up and seeing Gabe. He was tall and tan, with dark brown hair and a thick beard. He had a lean, muscular body, with only a few tattoos and a soft face that almost seemed classic, like he was plucked right out of a movie.

"Were you looking for this?" he chuckled, holding out my bag.

"Thank you," I smiled politely up at him. Everyone on the bus seemed really nice, and I wasn't worrying too much about if we would all manage to get along for the next half year. I had experiences in the past where not everyone was able to be friendly with each other, some people are just too aggressive to live with strangers. But this time it seemed like everyone was really thrilled to be here, and I found myself getting more and more excited with each moment that passed.

We had been on the road for the past four hours, and were nearing our first destination. We would spend the night in the next city, play a show there the following day, and then leave the night of the concert, so we could sleep in transit. A lot of the tour would be spent like this, unless we were spending multiple days in one town. And on a few occasions, when they take the buses in to be checked, we'd stay in a hotel overnight, though this is only once or twice in the entire tour, and not for a few months at least. For now we were stuck with the tiny bunk beds to rest in. They weren't so bad once you got used to them, though.

I yawned as I unpacked, stuffing things in a container under my bunk. The vehicle was humming rhythmically as we drove, and my lids started to get heavier with each moment that passed. Standing, I decided to fight my sleepiness and headed to the living area. I plopped down on the couch between Gabe and Dan, picking up a fantasy novel off the counter on the way over.

"What're you reading?" Gabe lowered the newspaper he was scanning over and leaned forward with his elbows on his knees as he inspected my book.

"It's called the sword of truth, it's about a guy who doesn't know he's a wizard and he starts travelling to defeat the evil dictator that's taking over the country, and his wizard grandpa has to train him," I said in one breath, not taking my eyes off the passage I was reading.

"You must really like it," he chuckled. I flashed him a quick smile and continued reading. All of a sudden my book was grabbed out of my hands. I looked over at Dan, who was reading out loud in a silly voice.

"And then! A burst of lightning shot from his hands!" He gasped, "and the hero was deeeead," he faked dying.

"Richard would never be defeated that easily," I scoffed, referring to the main character, standing in an attempt to take my book back from him. Every time I reached for it Dan pulled back in an irritating game of keep away. "If you don't give it back I'm going to do something drastic," I warned as I crouched, my fingers raised in a tickling position.

"Hah, as if you could, shorty," he smirked back menacingly.

"Don't test me," I was smiling darkly as we slowly circled each other. I lunged at him and he jumped out of the way and up on to the couch. Gabe was standing out of the way with his arms crossed over his chest, an amused look on his face.

"Are you the hero in our time of need?" Dan mocked as we slowly mirrored each other. Finally I jumped onto the couch, too, just as he got down. It was my chance!

I pounced, but just as I leapt in the air, the bus hit a bump. Yelping, I flew up. And right into the arms of Gabe. He had rushed over, catching me just in time. We must have looked awkward, my forearms on his shoulders, one of his hands on my side, the other on my leg, and my chest in his face.

"I'm so sorry!" I said as he set me down, and I made a cringing apologetic face to show my remorse.

"It's okay, I'm glad no one was hurt," he said politely, seeming a little shy. I wondered if all my first impressions on this tour would turn out like this. Dan started cackling from a few feet away, and I glared at him. I was about to tell him where to shove it when Gabe started laughing too, muffled at first, and then genuinely laughing a good amount. A smile cracked across my face, too, and it seemed it was contagious because before long I was giggling into my sleeve.

"What is going on up here?" Shae and Natalia emerged from the bunks, confused at the sight of us all laughing, me and Gabe's clothes slightly disheveled from the fall.

"Just Casey doing what she does best," Dan teased. "My hero," he said in a high pitched sing song voice as he lightly tapped Gabe's shoulder.

"Please shut your _mouth_ ," I shrieked, smiling as I shoved him playfully. Shae and Natalia looked more and more entertained as they fully entered the room.

"Look, Dan, she can't help it," Shae defended me, and I looked at her thankfully, "that's she's the clumsiest motherfucker on the planet. She's just doomed to a life of eating shit _all_ the time,"

"Traitor!" I gasped, faking a look of shock. She began to laugh mockingly as a voice yelled from the front of the bus,

"We're here!"

I heard the breaks whine as the bus lurched to a stop.

"Thank god, I'm starving!" Shae declared as she threw the door open, climbing down the steps.

"We ate not long ago," I scoffed, the rest of us following her out of the vehicle.

"I need sustenance," she muttered, looking at our surroundings. We were at a campsite, the other buses all parked nearby. There was a small general store, a set of outdoor showers, a seating area, and a campfire ring. The clearing felt very woodsy, tall trees towering over the circled clearing. The air was crisp and fresh, and I stretched after being cooped up for so long. The first show was tomorrow so today we could rest up and adjust to life on the road.

We approached the seating area, seeing we were one of the last buses in, judging by the number of people gathered there. We made our rounds, introducing ourselves to everyone else on the tour. There were roughly thirty people, only three bands were on this one. We met the members for the bands that weren't headlining, Nothing More and Adakain, and then mingled with the other roadies. As I was chatting, something caught my attention. I looked to the side to see Jeremy only a few feet away, talking with everyone else. My embarrassment from before had dissipated some, and I could look at him without feeling incredibly awkward. I made my way over to him.

"I didn't get a chance to introduce myself earlier, but I'm Casey," I said softly, my head angled towards him so I didn't ruin the conversation the others were having. He stared at me blankly for a few seconds before nodding.

"Nice to meet you," he mumbled, low and monotone, averting his gaze. I cocked my head to the side.

"I'm sorry about this morning," I probed, my brow furrowed, wondering if that was why he being so cold.

"...Don't worry about it," he replied after a few seconds, his jaw clenched, him looking more agitated.

"...Okay… sorry," I said meekly, turning to walk away. Once again I felt embarrassed, this time just for trying to make amends and introduce myself. I wouldn't have come over here at all had I known he would still be acting that way. Frustration started to bubble in my chest.

"Sorry about him," a friendly voice rang from behind me a few feet away. I turned on my heel to see Alex with his usual goofy and comforting smile. He was so personable, I was able to relax with him almost instantly. "He's just grumpy from being on the road. I promise he's not usually that rude,"

"Oh, it's okay, you don't have to apologize for him or anything," I waved my hands in front of me. "I'm not too sensitive, so it doesn't bother me," usually that wouldn't be a lie, but for whatever reason it was getting under my skin. I hadn't felt like any of me and Jeremy's interactions had been particularly bad, so I was a little lost as to why he would dislike me so much already. Sure, I plowed right into him earlier, but was that really enough to have someone irritated enough to barely look at me? I guess I just didn't like feeling so annoying right off the bat, especially with someone who was so attractive.

 _Wait, what?_

I looked up and over at Jeremy, my brows furrowed. He stood with one hand in his pocket and the other holding a drink, chuckling as everyone cracked up when someone made a joke. His black jeans hung loose from his hips and the arms of his solid black hoodie were pulled up a bit, revealing some of his tattoos on his wrist. He was slim and attractive, his broad shoulders shaking as he laughed, low and throaty. He turned his head and our eyes met suddenly. I snapped my head forward, eyes wide, really hoping he didn't realize how hard I had been staring. Alex cocked his head to the side, his smile still hanging casually onto his lips.

"So!" I tried to distract myself from my stomach churning with nerves. "Um, tell me about yourself," I say to Alex, shaking the awkward thoughts from my head, tucking a strand of hair behind my ear.

"Not much to tell. I'm the drummer for those guys, we've been on tour for a while now. This is the smallest tour in a while, though. What about you? Your name was Casey, right?"

"Yeah," I smiled, finally feeling a little more relaxed. "This is a pretty small tour, but that's not so bad. A lot fewer people to meet, but everyone is already getting along pretty well," I said as I glanced around at the groups of people chatting and laughing, a lot of them with beers and cigarettes in hand.

"That's true," he looked around as well. "I'm betting there will be a bunch of guitars around the campfire in no time."

"Oh, I hope so, that's one of my favorite parts of tours," I grinned.

"Yeah? Do you play?"

"Mmmhm, my dad is a musician, so there were instruments all around when I grew up. He'd probably cry if I didn't know how to play at least a little," I chuckled, thinking fondly about my family back home.

"What kind of music do you like?" he asked curiously.

"Blink 182 and Four Year Strong are my favorite bands, but I like a lot of music, like everyone else here," I laughed.

"Do you know any Blink songs on the guitar?" his eyes lit up as a shit eating grin spread across his face. His energy was infectious as I began beaming, already knowing what he had in mind.

"Pick one: Online Songs or Every Time I Look For You," I said.

"...Everytime I Look For You," he decided after a moment.

"Yes! Let's do it!" I cheered and he got excited, too. We took off for the buses and emerged with a couple of acoustic guitars.

"Dan!" I shouted, and held up the guitar for him to see. He caught my eyes and lit up, quickly setting down the drink in his hand and jogging over. This caught the attention of the others around us and they started cheering. This was a tradition on most tours. You would think that people got tired of playing music every single day for so long, but this is just what everyone here is passionate about. It never gets old.

We sat down near a the campfire that someone had just started, everyone gathering around and grabbing seats or just sitting on the ground, getting comfy. We started in on the song and there was an excited buzz in the air.

 _Never found out why you left him,_

 _but this answer begs that question,_

 _Too blind to see tomorrow,_

 _too broke to beg or borrow._

 _Young and Stupid, left wide open_

 _Hearts are wasted, lives are broken_

Everyone started bouncing around with the music, and I felt a smile force it's way onto my face as I saw them enjoying themselves. This is what music is all about, bringing people closer together. I felt my chest swell with excitement as I played the guitar to the upbeat tempo of the song, my fingers sliding up and down the fretboard. The copper strings felt good under my fingertips and I couldn't help laughing out loud sometimes as we tripped over ourselves during the song. We were laughing and singing in sync, our bodies swaying as we got more and more into the song. Alex was drumming on a bucket he found, and some others went and retrieved tambourines. Most of the group was singing together, our voices loud and filled with cheer. My face was starting to hurt from all the smiling.

As the song came to an end I handed the guitar off to another roadie, grinning as I stood and brushed myself off. Everyone started in on another upbeat song and I scanned around and met with a familiar set of eyes. My lopsided grin slowly faded and I glanced shyly down at my feet. Jeremy stood at a distance with a small group. Everyone else was chatting but his gaze was locked on me. I swallowed roughly and turned, walking towards the bathrooms. I felt the familiar warmth spread across my face, which I was starting to associate Jeremy with. It was really hard for me to feel at ease with him around and I didn't like it.

I hurried into the small white-bricked building nearby, and walked into one of the few spacious stalls of the bathroom. I sat on the toilet and lifted my feet onto the seat, my face pressed into my knees, and sighed. Is this really how to first day of the tour is going to end? It was undoubtedly one of the longest days of the tour every time, but this time I just felt unsettled and warm in the face. Were things going to be this awkward around Jeremy for the entire tour? I was hoping I would get along with everyone and everything would go smoothly, too. There was just something about him that made me antsy. Maybe it was how cold he was right off the bat? Usually I would just avoid it if someone didn't seem to like me, stay out of their way and steer clear of trouble, but this entire day it was just awkward eye contact and accidental run-ins with him. What did I do that was that wrong?! I groaned in frustration, letting my head fall to the side and dangle for a second before I sighed and stood. I flushed the toilet just to make people think I wasn't a weirdo who would just go and sit in a bathroom stall to think (even though I was), and washed my hands. I needed to get back out there or Dan and Shae would start to worry.

I walked briskly out of the bathrooms, but I didn't get far before a hand wrapped around my wrist, making me jump.

"What the Hell?!" I yelped. "Jeremy?"


End file.
